Steaming devices, such as a steam iron, are generally used to remove creases from fabric, such as clothing and bedding. A steam iron generally includes a main body with a handle which is held by a user, and a sole plate at a lower end of the body with a planar ironing surface which is pressed or located against a fabric. The fabric to be pressed is generally placed on a horizontal surface, such as an ironing board, and the ironing surface of the sole plate pressed against the fabric. The steam iron is in a normal operating position when the planar ironing surface is in a horizontal orientation.
A steam generator is used to convert water fed from a water chamber into steam which is directed through the sole plate towards the fabric to be pressed. The steam generator may include the sole plate which is heated to convert water into steam and to heat the ironing surface. However, the sole plate generally cools down as water flows against it to be converted into steam, and the sole plate is moved over a fabric. This leads to condensation and/or water droplets forming on the fabric, which dampens the fabric. Therefore, it is necessary to allow the steam iron to heat up again in between ironing operations.
Such a problem is particularly acute with cordless steam irons. Cordless steam irons comprise a steaming body and a stand on which the steaming body is removably supported. The steaming body has a sole plate and a steam generator. The stand has a power supply for supplying energy to the steaming body to heat up the sole plate when the steaming body is placed on the stand. When the steaming body is removed from the stand, energy is not supplied to the steaming body and so the temperature of the sole plate will drop as the heat is used to evaporate the water fed to it. The sole plate is only heated up again when the steaming body is returned to the stand. Therefore, water droplets are known to form on the garment as the temperature of the sole plate falls below a reference temperature.
It is known to provide an alarm device that detects the temperature of the heated surface and indicates when the detected temperature drops below a reference temperature to indicate when the steaming body should be returned to the stand.